Click on image to watch animation. Image from White Dwarf Research Corp.

As the helium gets squeezed, it will soon get hot enough to burn into carbon. At the same time, the carbon can also join helium to form oxygen. The Sun is not very big compared to some stars. It will never get hot enough in the center to burn carbon and oxygen. These elements will collect in the center of the star. Later it will shed most of its outer layers, creating a planetary nebula, and reveal a hot white dwarf star.

Nearly 99 percent of all stars in the galaxy will end their lives as white dwarfs. By studying the stars that have already changed, we can learn about the fate of our own Sun.